BirdNote: Robins and Berries in Winter

It's mid-winter, and a passing flock of robins suddenly drops out of the sky. A moment ago, the yard was empty of birds, but now it's full. They settle in a bush laden with fruits. When the robins pass over a fruiting shrub, those red berries signal like a neon sign on a restaurant. Time to stop for a meal!

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In the Pacific Northwest, you might see both Black-capped and Chestnut-backed Chickadees at your birdfeeder.

The Chestnut-back (seen here) has a black head with a large white cheek patch, but its back and sides are a rich chestnut brown. And the birds sound different, too! The call of the Black-capped Chickadee follows the familiar “Chick-a-dee, dee, dee” pattern. But the call of the Chestnut-back is higher pitched, faster, and has a buzzy quality. While we delight in their music, the birds are engaged in more serious business – they’re keeping their flock together.

The Bald Eagle stands proud as our national bird, spreads its wings on our national emblem, and serves as mascot of countless sports teams. So prominent is this iconic bird in our culture that we sometimes overlook a second, equally majestic eagle: the Golden Eagle. While Bald Eagles are confined to North America, Golden Eagles are native to Europe and Asia as well. Long before the Bald Eagle adorned envelopes at the post office, the Golden Eagle flew the cosmos as personal messenger to Zeus, the ancient Greek overlord.

Elegant Black Terns breed in summer on secluded wetlands across the northern states and Canada. Because of major losses of wetlands in their breeding range -- especially in Canada's prairie provinces -- Black Tern numbers have dropped dramatically since the 1960s. The future of this beautiful bird depends on protecting and restoring high-quality wetlands. Recent research shows that artificial nest platforms can enhance the terns' breeding success.

It won’t be long before North America’s largest swallows, Purple Martins, will be looking for places to nest. They’ll be arriving from as far away as Venezuela and Brazil. In eastern North America, where most martins breed, they nest almost exclusively in human-made houses - like the one pictured here. In the West, they also raise their young in natural cavities and woodpecker holes. Providing housing is important because Purple Martins are decreasing significantly in some regions.